An ICONic Experience in D.C.

Written by: Kelsea Clarke

This November, I attended PRSSA ICON in Washington, D.C., for the first time. The event brings together hundreds of students and professionals in communications and public relations for professional development and networking. I’m grateful for the opportunity to meet so many PR students from other Chapters around the country.

From the very start of ICON, I had the chance to form new connections and friendships with other students passionate about PR. Creating connections with your peers is especially valuable since those will be the people you can lean on, bond with, share experiences with, and gain new perspectives from, and they’re the people you will be working with in the future.    

Besides meeting with fellow students, we also had the chance to hear from industry experts and PR professionals through fireside chats, general sessions, and breakout sessions throughout the conference.   

The breakout sessions that stood out to me the most were "Relentless Acceleration: Communications at the Speed of Culture,” "The 24/7 Newsroom,” and “Building Public Image in Entertainment.”  

Here are the lessons and insights I gained from these sessions, along with how you can apply them to your PR journey.   

“Relentless Acceleration: Communications at the Speed of Culture" was presented by Brandi Boatner, Global Influencer Marketing at IBM Corporate Affairs. This session was about how we need to better understand the emotional and social landscape we’re in as communicators. We learned that culture is an undeniable, significant force in communication—it is a multifaceted dynamic that is constantly evolving. The biggest takeaway from this session was that we need to be culturally competent and culturally fluent as communicators, meaning that PR professionals and communicators must prioritize cultural competence as a core skill. This involves understanding cultural trends, values, and aspirations. Being culturally fluent allows us to foster trust, be authentic, and resonate with our audience. Having this skill is especially essential in crisis communication and reputation management, as it’s important to understand cultural intelligence and the environment during crises.   

“The 24/7 Newsroom" was presented by CNN Correspondent Pete Muntean, who taught us about the importance of valuing and understanding the local community. We should always try to meet people where they’re at and sympathize with them. He also emphasized that the key to boiling complex things down is to make them conversational. After his presentation, he offered tips for pitching to the media, as a journalist himself. His advice was to make sure the pitch ties back to the bigger picture, find the emerging trend, localize a big story, and find out what the next big thing is.   

“Building Public Image in Entertainment,” presented by Marketing Strategist and Professor at Howard University, Jasmine Young, “The Hip Hop Professor,” was one of my favorite sessions. My biggest takeaway was that it’s essential to build your story on “purpose and service.” She taught us that through our work, we should leave a legacy, not just a moment. In the industry, we should influence intention and know that our impact matters. Especially in the entertainment industry, impact will outlive fame. One tip she gave us was to define our brand pillars: image, message, experience, and legacy. In her session, we asked ourselves, “What makes you one of one?” and defined what we represent. She also gave us the advice to be ourselves, loudly and proudly, without discounting our values.   

My experience at ICON was incredibly fulfilling, and I hope to use the knowledge and insights I gained as a young PR professional.